M.Ed, Montessori Education concentration

Xavier University - Cincinnati, Ohio , USA - January 2021-May 2024

Completed coursework in Educational Administration, Child Development, Special Education, and Montessori teaching theory and practice
Completed action research for Master’s thesis: “Empowering Parents to Support Students: Growth Mindset Parent Education in the Elementary Years”
Earned American Montessori Society Elementary I & II teaching credential

NCTEACH Program for Alternative Licensure

North Carolina State University – Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - May 2009–May 2010

M.A. Cultural Studies, with distinction

Goldsmiths College, University of London – London, England, UK - September 2005–September 2006

B.A. English; B.A. Women’s Studies; magna cum laude with distinction

The Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio, USA - August 2000 – August 2004

Lead Teacher, Upper Elementary - St. Joseph Montessori School; Columbus, OH - August 2021 to present

Implemented Montessori lessons in alignment with Ohio Learning Standards for grades 4, 5, and 6 in Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies
Collaborated with co-teacher to implement student service, leadership, and socio-emotional learning opportunities within the Upper Elementary community
Communicated with parents and community members to support educational and extracurricular programming, including tutoring, student mentoring, and the development of a student culinary education program
Led faculty Cultural Committee (2022 to present), responsible for culturally-responsive programming and DEI initiatives for faculty and students

Assistant Teacher, Upper Elementary - St. Joseph Montessori School; Columbus, OH - August 2020-June 2021

Supported lead teacher in Upper Elementary environment in micro-classrooms after school re-opening during COVID-19 global pandemic
Implemented lead teacher lesson plans in small-group instruction
Facilitated social-emotional support and workshops to help students manage high anxiety and stress during pandemic isolation
Facilitated online instruction during mandated school closures and at-home learning

Substitute Teacher – St. Joseph Montessori School; Columbus, OH - October 2019–August 2020

Supported lead teacher in instructional planning & execution and classroom management for various classrooms with students ages 3-14
Provided specialized instruction (physical education, music, Spanish), as well as support to other school personnel (main office, after-school programming, etc.)

Humanities Teacher – Van Siclen Community Middle School; Brooklyn, NY - August 2013–July 2015

Developed & delivered 6th grade Humanities and 7th grade English Language Arts curriculum, including bilingual instruction for Spanish-speaking students, differentiated classes for students with disabilities and academic giftedness.
Served as Humanities Department Lead Teacher and Co-chair, facilitating curriculum development, collaborative planning, and teacher mentorships for all social studies and English teachers.
Led school-wide implementation of Google Apps for Education, including professional development, student training, and maintenance & security of student records and accounts.

Language Arts Teacher – Southern Middle School; Roxboro, NC - January 2010–June 2013

Delivered instructional plans and managed classroom behavior in 7th grade (2010-12) and 8th grade (2012-13) Language Arts classes, including differentiated instruction for academically- gifted and autism-spectrum students.
Served as Language Arts Department Chair (2012-13), and as a member of the Curriculum Review Team (2011-2013), Positive Behavior & Intervention Support Team (2012-13), Student Celebration Committee (2012-13).

Professional Memberships

Professional Conferences:

Cincinnati Montessori Society (March 2025): Interdisciplinary Team Teaching in Montessori Elementary Classrooms
North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (February 2013); Technology Integration in Gifted ELA Education

Parent & Community Education

Sales Representative – Barnes and Noble Booksellers; Durham, NC
October 2009 – December 2009

Supported sales in the children’s department for winter holiday retail season.
Maintained sales floor, restocked departmental inventory, facilitated weekly Story Time events for preschool children, and developed community partnerships with local schools.

Program Associate (AmeriCorps*VISTA) and Office Manager – Ashoka’s Youth Venture; Brooklyn, NY
January 2008 – April 2009

Coached teams of students through the development of their own community organizations and social businesses, following the social entrepreneurship-model curriculum created by Youth Venture.
Delivered program workshops for students ages 10-21, focusing on middle and high school youth.
Arranged logistics and provided program support for weekend retreat for 50 high school youth at a rural camp facility in December 2008.
Provided office support to staff, including scheduling, ordering office supplies, providing basic IT support, answering phones, processing HR paperwork, creating and maintaining program budgets, and creating office resources, including contact lists, operation manuals, and standardized forms and templates for office use.

Bookseller – Borders Books, Music and Movies; New York, NY
November 2006 – December 2007

Lead support staff for sales management team, focusing on children’s literature.
Hosted weekly Story Time readings and activities for children ages 0-4 and biweekly Book Club for readers ages 10-15.
Lead outreach effort to local public schools to maintain inventory and displays of required summer reading titles.
Maintained inventory of books, including restocking, organizing, and creating displays for featured product.
Earned Individual Service Award, January 2007, after two months employment

Game Club — St. Joseph Montessori School; Columbus, Ohio, United States — (2024 - current)

Kitchen Wizards Cooking Club — St. Joseph Montessori School; Columbus, Ohio, United States (2021-2024)

PHS Color Guard & Drill Team — Person High School; Roxboro, North Carolina, United States (2010)

Curriculum development, lesson planning, and standards-alignment for educational programs in the elementary and middle school content areas of language arts, reading, elementary mathematics, elementary science, history, social studies, and Montessori Practical Life (technology, public speaking & communication, executive function skills, cooking, and peer mentorship)
Administration and Office: Event planning, record maintenance, basic accounting/bookkeeping, office equipment
Online Tools: Social media management & communication (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn), website development (SquareSpace), Google Drive & Apps (certified Google Educator), Constant Contact, SurveyMonkey, Wikispaces, Dropbox, online educational testing & standardized assessment platforms (Renaissance, TIDE)
Project Management: goal setting, process delegation, leadership, intra-team communication and conflict resolution, product delivery, and time management & scheduling
Fluent English-speaker, conversational Spanish skills